At present, only three genetically modified crops developed with new techniques such as CRISPR/Cas are on the market worldwide. That’s the key finding of the New GMOs Market Report, published by the European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) and the US-based Non-GMO Project.
Overregulation in the EU?
Supporters of the proposed deregulation of genetically modified (GM) plants often claim that the EU’s strict rules are stifling the market introduction of new GMOs engineered with new GM techniques (NGTs). But even in countries with little to no regulatory hurdles, the rollout of these new crops has been sluggish at best.
New GM techniques — in the EU also referred to as new genomic techniques (NGTs) — include technologies developed since 2001, such as gene-editing tools like TALENs, ODM and CRISPR/Cas.
The New GMOs Market Report shows that only three NGT crops are currently grown commercially: two in the United States and one in Japan. The US crops are two CRISPR-edited maize varieties engineered for resistance to certain insects and the herbicide glufosinate (which is not allowed in the EU). Because these plants contain “foreign DNA,” they would not fall under the scope of the EU’s proposed deregulation.
In Japan, a CRISPR-modified tomato is on the market and promoted for its elevated GABA content, which is said to lower blood pressure. Whether this tomato would qualify as “conventional-like” remains unclear.
Two other gene-edited crops that once reached the market have already been withdrawn due to lack of success: a herbicide-tolerant ODM oilseed rape developed by Cibus and a TALENs-modified soybean with altered oil content from the company Calyxt. Neither crop is being cultivated today. Cibus has acquired Calyxt — and is currently facing investigations by several US law firms over allegations that it misled investors.
Hype meets reality
The European Commission and others often tout the promises of new GM techniques. They argue that these methods make it faster and easier to achieve breeding goals, compared to traditional plant breeding. But what has actually been achieved? Which products are on the market? Which ones are still in development? So far, such information remains sparse, hard to access, and often difficult to verify.
According to the new report, 49 NGT crops are currently in development globally—most of them in the US and China. It is hard to tell how many will truly reach the market. Many of the NGT plants approved in the US are not actually being cultivated. In China, not a single NGT crop is being grown commercially at this time.
Traits like drought or disease resistance, often cited as key benefits of new GM techniques, remain rare in practice. Only a handful of maize varieties, one soybean, and one wheat line are currently being developed for such properties.
Please find the New GMOs Market Report here.
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